Aircraft propulsion mechanism



March 23, 1948. v

R. B. DAVIS AIRGRAFT PROPULSION MECHANISM Filed Nov. 2, 1944 RALPH B.'Dvls I termed the propeller hub I2.

Patented Mar. 23., v1948 UNITED-STATES PATENT ori-ice Ralph B. Davis,Prestonsburg, Ky. Application November 2, 1944, serial No. 561,590

2 claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in propeller mechanisms.

The primary object of the present invention is to render the use ofso-called jet propulsion devices feasible and practical as a propellantfor airplanes.

Another object is to .provide a propeller mechanism for airplaneswherein propeller blades car, ried on a rotatable hub serve to propelthe planes at the comparatively low speeds involved in the initialstages or take-off of a night and jet reaction motive force units are'used for Dropellingthe plane after the latterY has attained a suitablespeed following the take-off.

A still further object is to utilize the jet reaction motive force unitfor revolving the propeller blades during the"takeoff, after which thepropeller blades are rendered inactive and the jet units are relied uponfor propelling the plane.

With these and other objects in view; the invention consists in certaindetails of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, allas will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel featuresthereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is a sectional view through theblades and hub of the propeller proper, the jet reaction motive forceunits and portions of the actuating mechanisms for certain structuralparts being shown more or. less schematically;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical view, in side elevation, illustrating lthe.adjustment of the jet units for revolving the propeller; and

Fig. 3 is a top plan view illustrating diagrammatically the adjustmentof the jet units when they serve for propelling the plane. i

As illustrated, the propeller mechanism comprises Jet reaction motiveforce units I carried at the outer or distal endsl of propeller bladesII which, in turn, are secured in what may be 'I'his hub portion I2 isrotatably supported in bearings I3, I4 in a bearing housing I5 which mayserve for mounting the propelling mechanism on the fuselage I6 of theplane. A thrust bearing I1 for the propeller hub may also be provided insaid bearing housing.

The hub I2 is formed with radial sockets or -bearing'sleefves I8 inwhich the hub ends IIa of blades II are rotatably supported betweensuitable means such as abutments 20 for limiting movement of the bladesin their sockets radially of the hub. The distal ends of blades II are(Cl. SIW-135.6)

formed with cylindrical bearing surfaces 2| on l suitable stufilng boxis .provided at the junction.

between this xed section of the line and the rotatable section 24.

The propeller blades are adapted to be rotated or adjusted in theirrespective sockets so that when the jet units are the sole'means ofpropelling the plane, the `blades can be turned edgewise or to aposition in which they will oier the slightest resistance to the flightof the plane. For this purpose, the inner ends of each pairof opposedblades may be forme-. with ring gears` 26 which are connected to a wormgear 2l mounted on shaft 28 driven .by an electric motor 29. As the two'opposed blades must be turned in opposite directions when moving to andfrom their feathered or edge-wisepositions, one ring gear 26 isconnected directly to gear 21 by a gear 30 on shaft 28 and the otherring gear 26 is engaged by a gear 3I on shaft 32 whichalso car-'- ries agear 33 in mesh with a gear 34 on a shaft 28.

For rotating the jet units I0 on their respective blades II, 'sleeves 22of the jets may be formed with ring gears 35 with which vgears 36 mesh,said gears 36 being mounted on shafts .31 provided with Iworm gears 38driven by electric motors 39. Current for motor 29 and motors 39 issupplied vfrom lines 40, 4I, respectively, which may be connected bybrushes to copper rings 42 mounted on but suitably insulated from thesupply line section 24. Each motor is connected to these rings bysuitable wiring which has been `omitted from the drawing to avoidconfusion.

Referring to Fig. 2, the jets are shown positioned so that the forcegenerated thereby will be exerted, as indicated by arrow A, in a planeat right angles to the propeller hub and in which the propeller bladesII are normally revolved in the take-ofi of the plane. It will also beobserved that the blades themselves, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,are positioned to oier maximum resistance to thel air or to generatetheir maximum propelling force. After the' plane has attained a suitablehigh rate of speed. the circuit through .wires 4I is closed and motors39 energized to 3 3 or 'parallel to the propeller hub i2 in line withthe direction of night of the plane and the circuit through lines 40 isclosed to energize motor 29 to revolve the blades in their sockets andfeatherl them, as shown in Fig. 3. i Under these latter circumstancesthe jet reaction motive force units l0 serve to propel the plane, asindicated by arrows B, and the propeller blades Il are missible. At thesame time, the motive force of a the jetl units is utilized during thetake-oft? to actuate the propeller blades.

As the propeller `blades I i and the entire hub structure revolve as aunit, motors 29, 39 can be mounted in the interior of the hub andbearings can be provided at suitable points for the several shafts 28,32 and 31 but it isdeemed unnecessary to illustrate these details or theswitches for controlling the circuits through the electric power lines40, 4|. What I claim is: 1. In a propeller mechanism for airplanes, apropeller shaft, a plurality of propeller blades rotatable on said shaftfor propelling the. plane` forwardly at relatively low speeds, jetreaction motive force units at the distal ends of said blades, means foradjusting said units relatively to said blades to render said unitseffective either in the planeo! rotation of said blades on the shaft toy revolve said blades or in a plane transverse of said plane of rotationto propel the airplane i'or- 40 227,151

4 l wardly at relatively higher speeds, and means for altering the pitchof the. propeller blades to render them ineffective when the airplane ispropelled by the influence of said Jet reaction units.

2. In a propeller mechanism for airplanes, a rotatable hub havingradially disposed bearing sleeves. propellerlblades for propelling theairplane forwardly, said blades being Journaled in said sleeves. jetreaction motive force units pivotally supported at the distal ends otsaid blades, said units being normally eilective at rightangles tothecenter of rotation of the hub to rotate the 'blades and said hub duringnight of the plane at low speeds and adjustable to a position parallelto the direction of night oi' the plane to propelthe plane forwardly athigher speeds, means for rotating said units to adjust them to either ofsaid positions, and means for turning the individual blades in theirrespective bearing sleeves to minimize their propelling power when saidunits are in their plane propelling position.

' RALPH B. DAVIS.

REFERENCES CITED jUm'rnn STATES PATENTS' Number Name Date 1,144,521Barrows June 29, 1915 2,001,529 Dornier May-14, 1935 l 2,011,061Loescher Aug. 13, 1935 2,142,601 Bleecker Jan. 3, 1939 2,362,301 PeckerNov. 7, 1944- 2,397,357 Kundig Mar. 26, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date Great Britain Jan. 12, 1925

